​Arab women from various countries gather at London’s P21 gallery to celebrate 10 years since the birth of Iraqi womens organisation, Tadhamun.

On Mar. 22, Iraqi women’s organisation, Tadhamun, hosted an event of talks and creative performances, to celebrate 10 years since the organisation was established.

The overarching theme of the night was life “Away from Home”, as event’s title captures, in solidarity with Iraqi, Palestinian and Tunisian women that — due to no fault of their own — have lived outside of their homelands.

This matter of fact, as each speaker uncovered, can occur abruptly — or overnight — in times of war, revolutionary upheaval and occupation.

Peeling back the multilayers of identity in a variety of contexts, the event addressed the complex relationship generations of Arab women in diaspora have with their ‘homeland’ — al Watan.

Held at P21 gallery, London, the night was moderated by former associate foreign editor of the Guardian, Victoria Brittain, and saw contributions from author Dr. Dora Carpenter-Latiri, independent journalist Nazli Tarzi, Palestinian poet Fajir Tamimi, Oud player Francesco Iannuzzelli, and Tadhamun’s very own Zainab Khan, and in her absence, May Mudhafar’s poem — “From that Distant Land” — was also performed.

On June 15, The Foreign Relations Bureau-Iraq hosted its first public event titled: 'Middle East States and Non-State Actors: Iran, Iraq, Syria'. The discussions generated throughout the day focused on the political dynamics in Iraq and neighbouring countries.

Dr. Bianka Speidl, spoke of the ways in which low-intensity conflicts are being exported to Europe, from Iraq. Her paper centred on the materialisation of the Sunni-Shia divide, and the rise of sectarian entrepreneurs embedded within religious, transnational networks.

Mr. Michael Clark delivered a presentation that places the government's handling of the Islamic State under scrutinizing light. The question his paper poses is an important but often forgotten one: 'to what extent can we speak of a 'Sh'i response' to IS? Engaging with the debate about the current government fight against terror, Clark's talk revisited the sub-state actors involved in the battles wages since Sistani's 2014 Fatwa enabled the formation of Iraq’s Popular mobilization Forces (PMF) un-picking their loyalties and ambitions.

The final panel, which included presentations from Dr. Cengis Gunes, and Dr. Muhanad Seloom, focused on the movement and future of Kurds in Iran. Bteween them, they placed the question into historical context, to forecast the future of Kurds in Iran.

London-based women’s organization, Tadhamun (Solidarity) on May. 14 hosted an event on Iraq’s internal displacement crisis. Keynote speakers covered a range of topics and surveyed the consequences of this invisible phenomenon. Growing numbers of displaced Iraqis forced out of neighbourhoods, transformed into battle zones in the fight against the Islamic State (IS), offers only a simplified story about what’s been happening. Forced dispossession, urban cleansing, and expulsion are all problems that precede IS, as speakers uncovered.

Since Anglo-American forces invaded in 2003, 3 million Iraqis were made homeless. This figure does not account for the estimated 3.5 million that have resettled abroad. Pushed out of their country by different hardships, these people today form part of Iraq’s ever-expanding diaspora.

Professor Mundhir Al Adhami offered a historical timeline of displacement trends since 2003, and how the strengthened position of militias in the wake of the invasion, exacerbated the matter with unsanctioned armed groups acting as law enforcement entities.

Dr. Yasin Al Eethawi discussed changing migration and settlement patterns. Vigilante militias, and those absorbed by the state’s security apparatus have not only been targeting communities due to their religious orientation. One is easily hunted down for the political views he or she may hold. This has prompted the movement of some Shi’i Iraqis to Sunni inhabited areas. The other side of the coin, Eethawi explained, is the migration of Sunni Iraqis from IS held terrains to geographic locations they are granted access to.

In November 2015, Iraq-focused documentary, "Whose Peace will it Be?" travelled to London for the first time, as part of a screening held art London's P21 gallery. Directed by Belgian film director, Luc Pien, the film creates a space in which Iraqis discuss what has been done to their country, and what the future ahead beholds. Interviewees are not only Iraqi, but also members of the European public, civil servants, former United Nations staff — voices the film shuttles between.

​The film achieves what few documentaries before have, letting Iraqis tell their own story and express their wants, without censorship. The film casts a greater light on not only the past, but also current developments, including the rise of ISIS. Instead of distilling events, the perspectives woven into the film, challenges narratives uncritically accepted by the masses. The film is not intended to speak to politicians or policy makers, but to audiences hungry for a human perspective, from idivudals those whose lives are still dictated by events ‘back home’.

Founding member of the Foreign Relations Burea (FRB) and director of Arab Lawyers Association (UK), Sabah al Mukhtar, speaks about the lawless environment Iraq has been swallowed whole by, since Anglo-American forces invaded in 2003. The event was hosted by the London Centre of International Law Practice and Edwards Wildman Palmer on 9 December, 2014.​

His presentation tackles ways to recover proceeds that have been fraudulently secured through bribes and unlawful investment contracts linked to Iraqi government affiliates.

In the vibrant Turkish city of Istanbul, 200 Iraqi personalities and figures attended the founding conference of ‘The Forum of Iraqi Intellectuals and Academics’. Participants travelled from 28 different countries, including Iraq, for the two day event. In an effort to organise as a recognisable collective -- uniting Iraqis from within and outside of Iraq -- a constituent assembly was founded and participants voted for a Secretary-General, deputies and other middle-ranking members over the 2-day conference.Renowned writers, thinkers and scientists took to the podium to share their memories of Iraq, present concerns, and potential solutions to the tenuous situation in their country. On the first day attendees branched out into smaller groups to review and agree upon the rules of procedure for forming specialized committees, and electing, for each, a president, deputy and rapporteur. An election to vote in the forum’s secretary-general, deputies and the secretary of the forum was also held.

A panel discussion co-organised by London-based Iraqi women’s organization, Tadhamun (solidarity) and the Reading Peace Group took place on Oct. 20 2014. The human cost of the Iraq war has become increasingly visible on our screens and newspapers.

​The deepening political and security crisis, nourished by relentless political failures, has made it increasingly impossible for international aid organisation to protect citizens in need. When human rights are left unprotected, the greater the chances of violations are. Speakers included Tadhamun members Mrs Tahrir Swift and Mrs Haifa Zangana.

Members of Foreign Relations Bureau (Iraq) FRB attended an event organised by the Center of Strategic Studies for North Africa, reexamining legal issues that relate to Israel’s latest acts of aggression in Palestinian territories.

FRB-I member Mr. Sabah al Mukhtar, joined in his capacity as the head of the Arab Lawyers Association in the UK. The event witnessed fruitful discussions and debates, offering comparative lessons applicable to populations beyond Palestine.​

​Human Rights Council gather to discuss the situation of human rights in Iraq. Expert voices include Iraqi author and activist Haifa Zangana and Mr. Sabah al-Mukhtar, President of the Arab Lawyers Association. Speakers uncover the root cause of contemporary problems in Iraq. They trace these problems further back than the birth of so-called Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, to 2003. Focusing on the inception of ISIS alone, “erases the memory of what happened” under America’s invasion, argues Haifa Zangana. Adding that crimes committed by the militias mobilised in the wake of mosul’s fall, offer a mirror image of act perpetrated by Islamic state group.